Abstract: Providing offers based on a search query comprises receiving and storing offers from merchants. The system identifies a potential merchant name from search query terms and identifies offers from a database that are not associated with the potential merchant name. The system compares the potential merchant name to the identified offers and determines if the potential merchant name appears in a number of the identified offers that is below a threshold. If so, the system determines that the query term identified as a potential merchant system is likely to be an actual merchant name. In this case, the offer distribution system may select only offers from the actual merchant to present to the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing content. A request for content for publication is received. Content items are identified responsive to the request, including identifying groups of content items. An auction is conducted to identify content to provide, including identifying at least first and second groups of content items. A price to charge sponsors associated with each content item in each group is determined. For each content item in a group, a first bounding price is determined that is a second price auction value, a second bounding price is determined reflecting a value to be maintained for the content item to keep the respective group in a same position in a group ranking, and a final price is determined equal to the greater of the first and second bounding prices. A sponsor is charged the determined final price.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media that may be used to populate a content interface having several positions are provided. One method includes determining a first set of eligible content bids by comparing a performance characteristic of each content bid with a first threshold value. The method further includes conducting a first auction process on the first set of one or more eligible content bids to determine one or more first content items to be displayed in at least one position of a content interface. The method further includes determining a second set of eligible content bids by comparing a performance characteristic of each content bid with a second threshold value. The method further includes conducting a second auction process on the second set of one or more eligible content bids to determine content items to be displayed in at least one other position of the content interface.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media that may be used to populate a content interface having several positions are provided. One method includes conducting at least one first auction process to select a first set of one or more winning content bids based in part on a first eligibility constraint. The first eligibility constraint includes a limitation on the number of winning bids that share a particular characteristic. The method further includes, when the number of winning content bids is less than a number of positions within the content interface, conducting at least one second auction process to select a second set of one or more winning content bids by either disabling the first eligibility constraint or applying a second eligibility constraint. The second eligibility constraint permits a larger number of winning content bids to share the particular characteristic than are permitted under the first eligibility constraint.

Abstract: In one embodiment, accessing a search query and a document identified in response to the search query; extracting a first geographical location from the search query or from information associated with a user issuing the search query or a device used by the user to issue the search query; determining a first minimum bounding region enclosing the first geographical location; computing a threshold for the first geographical location; extracting one or more second geographical locations from the document; for one of the second geographical locations, determining a second minimum bounding region enclosing the one second geographical location; computing a distance between the first minimum bounding region and the second minimum bounding region; and if the distance is greater than the threshold, then discarding the document by not including the document in a search result identified in response to the search query.

Abstract: In one embodiment, accessing a search query and a document identified in response to the search query; extracting a first geographical location from the search query or from information associated with a user issuing the search query or a device used by the user to issue the search query; determining a first minimum bounding region enclosing the first geographical location; computing a threshold for the first geographical location; extracting one or more second geographical locations from the document; for one of the second geographical locations, determining a second minimum bounding region enclosing the one second geographical location; computing a distance between the first minimum bounding region and the second minimum bounding region; and if the distance is greater than the threshold, then discarding the document by not including the document in a search result identified in response to the search query.